


when all is said and done

by bodhirooks



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst, BAMF Bodhi Rook, BAMF K-2SO, Cassian Andor Needs a Hug, K is a Sassy MF as always, Kidnapping, M/M, Post-Canon, Rape, ambiguous ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:41:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22636111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bodhirooks/pseuds/bodhirooks
Summary: “There’s been a slight complication.”“Where are you?” Jyn demanded, stealing the words from Bodhi’s mouth.“I don’t know, I was hiding.”“Hiding from what?” Bodhi asked, dread rising unbidden in his chest.K-2 answered Bodhi’s second question by answering the first. “Cassian’s been abducted.”
Relationships: Cassian Andor/Bodhi Rook, Cassian Andor/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 25





	when all is said and done

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is obviously some heavy subject matter. If you don't like it or are triggered in any way, please don't read!
> 
> Otherwise, likes and comments are appreciated :)

It was supposed to be a simple mission.

Meet the informant, collect the data, and leave. Quick in, quick out. He hadn’t even needed a team for it. All he’d brought was his blaster and K-2.

Cassian should have known something would go wrong.

The most obvious clue was the unusual lack of Imperial officers in the area. Canto Bight was renowned for its gorgeous casinos and infestation of scumbags and villainy. Stormtroopers were scarce, but elites of the Empire could normally be found aplenty, sporting slick uniforms and black caps.

Cassian spotted next to none.

Perhaps that should have been enough to raise his suspicions, but the captain was dead-set on getting this over with as quickly as possible. He’d only begrudgingly taken up the assignment in the first place. Cassian was never one to put up a fuss (and he hadn’t, unless mild grumbling counted), but this particular mission threatened to overlap a very specific, special day.

So, instead of minding his surroundings or asking questions— _ Where are the Imperials? Why are the streets so quiet? Where was the usual police presence? _ —he imagined the job was already finished. He imagined climbing onto his transport and speeding back to Hoth. He imagined the bleak, frozen tundra and the cold winds creeping beneath his parka. 

And he imagined Bodhi’s warmth melting it all away.

One year. It was hard to believe they’d been together for an entire standard cycle, but they had, and though it hadn’t made life any easier, it made Cassian that much happier to be living it. Bodhi was gentle and kind, flirtatious and charming, smart and beautiful. What better man to spend his days with?

Wandering down the bulb-lit allies of the resort city, Cassian considered what he could do to make their anniversary truly special. Light from windows high above him bathed the pavement in an incandescent, romantic glow. He didn’t notice. He didn’t notice anything in front of him, either.

Nor, more pressingly, behind him.

_ “Cassian!”  _

He barely had time to drag himself from his thoughts and absorb K-2’s cry before something came down on the back of his head.  _ Hard.  _ With a grunt he crumpled to the ground, vision swimming. 

When he came to he wasn’t wearing any clothes.

* * *

Bodhi was prone to humming.

It wasn’t a nervous tic, per se, but it was a persistent habit. When he was navigating the deep void of space or fiddling with repairs it helped fill the silence. There wasn’t much silence now. Rewiring a hyperdrive compressor was noisy work, and the chattering of his friends in the hangar bay—his  _ friends, his _ —added to the noise, but he hummed anyways, the soft vibrations in his own throat grounding him.

“Specs read normal.”

Bodhi nodded, though Jyn couldn’t see. She was sitting in the cockpit in front of him, her silhouette marked by a long shadow on the floor. Rogue One was hardly the pride and joy of the Rebellion, but it was  _ their  _ ship, and they took care of her.

“Hm.”

Bodhi paused, raising his goggles and wiping the sweat from his brow. He was warm despite the frigid chill. “‘Hm’ what?”

“Incoming transmission from Kay.” 

Bodhi frowned. “Huh.” Odd. They weren’t expecting to hear from Cassian, especially not during such a short mission. Rising from a crouch, Bodhi joined Jyn up front, sitting in the co-pilot’s seat and accepting the communication.

“-dhi. Bodhi, Jyn-”

Bodhi’s eyes bugged. It was K-2 alright. A worse-for-wear K-2. A K-2 with several blaster burns and a singed, flickering ocular receptor. “Kay! What’s happened, what’s wrong?” 

“There’s been a slight complication.”

The droid appeared to be in some sort of garage, surrounded by crates and metal shipping containers. “Where are you?” Jyn demanded, stealing the words from Bodhi’s mouth.

“I don’t know, I was hiding.” 

“Hiding from what?” Bodhi asked, dread rising unbidden in his chest.

K-2 answered Bodhi’s second question by answering the first. “Cassian’s been abducted.”

Bodhi felt his heart clench in his chest. Rising abruptly, he banged his head on the low ceiling. “He  _ what?” _

“We were ambushed,” K continued, the ambient sounds of factory production ringing in the transmission behind him. “They weren’t Imperials—an underground syndicate is my guess.” 

“Cassian’s been abducted by criminals?” Bodhi could feel white-hot tendrils of panic wrapping around his lungs, and he took a deep breath. “Who are they, are they a gang?”

Jyn rested a firm hand on his shoulder. “Do you know where he is now?” she asked, tone deceptively even. Bodhi wasn’t reassured. Sure, Jyn wasn’t  _ dating _ Cassian, but Cassian was probably her best friend, and she was just as worried.

“I don’t know. But I was able to access one of the city-wide telecommunication ports. Luckily, their database on known and wanted criminals is extensive.” 

Bodhi wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or terrified, but he was leaning more towards terrified. 

“The odds of retrieving him are—”

Bodhi could feel himself wincing already; he did  _ not  _ want to hear—

“—actually rather high. But I can’t do it alone, obviously.” 

Bodhi blinked, perking up. A spark of adrenaline rushed through his system, and he felt Jyn give his shoulder a squeeze.

“We’re on our way now.”

* * *

  
  


When he came to he wasn’t wearing any clothes.

That might not have been the most important thing to notice, but it was definitely the hardest thing  _ not  _ to notice. Goosebumps rose to his skin, and he curled in on himself, cold.

Something clinked together. 

Cassian couldn’t see. Wherever he was, he was drowning in darkness, the only other sound his own ragged breathing. He shifted his legs, heard the clink again, reached down—

Metal cuffs. 

Somehow, he hadn’t felt them before. As soon as his fingers touched jagged rust, however, he could feel the weight against his ankles. Another pair was wrapped around his wrists: two slim bracelets, but, as far as he could tell, they weren’t attached to anything.

Cassian dared to stand.

He’d rolled onto his side to feel the restraints, and now he took a moment to test the floor. Running his hands across the ground in front of him, he couldn’t feel any sharp objects or sudden drops. Just rough stone. Bracing his palms, the captain pushed himself to his knees. 

He collapsed in a pool of blinding light.

* * *

It didn’t take long to get to Cantonica.

Draven didn’t need to be asked twice. When they’d requested permission to rescue Cassian Andor the answer was yes. “Fill out the paperwork later,” was all he’d said, and Bodhi and Jyn left immediately afterwards. 

Rogue One flew like a charm. Thank the Force he’d finished repairing that hyperdrive compressor: imagining the ride  _ without _ a well-functioning hyperdrive made Bodhi cringe. He was grateful for small miracles—or, at least, good timing.

Still, flying took time, and time meant waiting, and waiting was  _ excruciating _ . Bodhi bounced his knee as he sat in the pilot’s seat, eyes glossy as he tried not to think about Cassian, tried not to think about where his partner was, whether he had come to harm or was even  _ alive _ —

“Hey.” Bodhi jumped a little when Jyn spoke, turning to face her. She was standing beside his chair, a ration bar in hand. “Eat this. We’ll need our strength if we’re going to help him.”

Nodding, Bodhi took the food, steadying his nerves. “Right. You’re right.” 

Three hours later, they arrived in the planet’s atmosphere.

Bullshiting their way to the surface wasn’t difficult. Having an Imperial shuttle with an authenticator that scrambled every fifteen minutes made it even easier, and Bodhi landed smoothly in one of the hangars just outside Canto Bight. They disembarked, nominally to take on cargo. They jogged their way towards the city instead.

“He should be here,” Jyn said, extending the datapad she was holding for Bodhi to see. There was a small blip indicating K-2’s location.

It was moving.

“Where’s he going?” Bodhi snapped. They drew to a halt, looking down at the readouts together. K was in the southern sector, moving rapidly. 

“No idea,” Jyn admitted.

Bodhi was stumped, too. Raising his eyes from the datapad, he looked towards Canto Bight. The city was only a hectometer away, a bright light in a desert world. A conveyex ran from the hangar into the city center, linking supply to demand. “We’ll take that.” 

Hopping the conveyex didn’t take much effort from either of them, and they definitely weren’t the only ones. Every few carts there seemed to be hangers-on, hitching an easy, illegal-but-not-strictly-enforced ride. No worries there.

Once they were in the city, it came down to finding K.

“Where is he now?” Bodhi took the datapad from Jyn’s satchel, pulling up the map. K was still in the southern sector. “It looks like he’s been going in circles…” 

“Probably trying to blend in as a security droid,” Jyn reasoned, stepping off the conveyex platform, taking in the plaza. String lights and flashing signs and polished streets were splashed around them, all tastefully designed and executed with flare. Warm yellows tinted everything, giving Canto just the sort of fuzzy, welcoming feeling galactic tourists craved. 

Bodhi hated it already. “He doesn’t need to blend in as a security droid, he  _ is  _ a security droid. Let’s go this way.” 

Lucky for them, the city wasn’t terribly big. Getting from its heart to the southern sector didn’t take long at a jog. It was still frustrating, though. Normally Bodhi might have done some sight-seeing, but they were pressed for time.

And K just wouldn’t hold  _ still _ . 

“Slow down!” Bodhi grumbled at the pad, as if K would somehow hear his command. They’d been trailing the droid down allies and backways for who knows how long, and they had yet to catch up with him.

“Don’t stress…” Jyn advised, pressing herself against a wall and peeking around the corner.

Bodhi drew short behind her, feeling his face heat. “Don’t stress? Don’t  _ stress?  _ I am  _ beyond stressed,  _ Jyn!”

“Shh!” Jyn pressed him back with a palm to the chest. Bodhi’s nostrils flared, annoyed. But Jyn was right. Panicking wouldn’t save Cassian. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, calming down. They could do this. They  _ had  _ to do this, no matter how long it took.

It was a good thing he’d taken a moment, too. A contingent of mounted police passed by, prodding irons in their hands to keep unruly fathiers under control. The beasts grunted and groaned, long ears flapping in distress. As soon as they passed the pair ducked around the corner, finding themselves on a narrow thoroughfare.

“That’s strange,” Jyn observed, and Bodhi thought she was talking about the use of fathiers as cavalry, but when he turned to look at her she was staring at the datapad again. “This says Kay should be right in front of us.”

The ally was dimly lit, but K-2 was definitely not in front of them.

“Where the hell is he, has the signal been jammed?” Bodhi snatched the pad from Jyn’s hands, dragging one of her gloves off in the process. Yes, he was being rude, but under the circumstances Jyn could surely forgive him. 

“Not unless it’s been intercepted, but his encryption—”

“Up here!” 

Jyn’s hand flew to the blaster on her hip, and Bodhi held the datapad over his face (like it would do him much good). Together, they turned a slow circle, trying to find where the call came from. 

_ “I said, up here!”  _

Bodhi craned his neck, looking first to the right, then—

“Kay’s on the roof.” 

Bodhi heard Jyn’s blaster drop into its holster, but his attention was fixed on an innocuous two-story building. K was staring down at them, half-concealed by a chimney-pipe, waving for them to join. With a huff Bodhi jogged over, Jyn right beside him, finding a service ladder and clamoring up to the roof. 

“Tell us what you know,” Jyn said, crouching by the droid. K was sitting down, which was an unusual posture for him, and one that did not lift Bodhi’s spirits.

“I’ve scoured Canto Bight’s criminal database,” he began, letting Bodhi sit beside him and readjust his ocular receptor. The transmission hadn’t revealed the extent of the damage: K was sporting a hive of dents, which must have made it difficult to keep moving and avoid detection. “I’ve positively identified three of the five men who ambushed us.” 

“Only five?” Jyn asked, at the same time Bodhi asked “Who are they?” 

“Only five, yes, but part of a much larger organization called the Syphex Links.”

Bodhi frowned. The group didn’t sound familiar. “They’re a planetary association,” K explained, “But they have galactic ambitions.” 

“They don’t work for the Empire, then?” Jyn asked, biting her fingernail. 

“No, but they contribute to Canto Bight’s economy in other ways.” 

“How so?” 

“Listen—” Bodhi threw up his hands impatiently. “As fascinating as this is,  _ where have they taken Cassian?”  _

K was silent for a moment, and Bodhi swore he could hear the gears turning in his head. Passing clouds momentarily obscured the droid’s features, removing the rising moon’s glow and casting him in darkness. “I have a location on their headquarters, but you should know—”

“Know  _ what _ Kay? That they’re dangerous, that they’re drug dealers?” Jyn reached out to dissuade him, but Bodhi kept going. “Spice runners? We can handle spice runners, alright?” 

“They aren’t drug dealers or spice runners, Bodhi.” 

Bodhi stilled. He’d never heard K-2 use his given name before. Something uneasy hardened in his stomach. “Who are they then…?” 

Where there might have been an extended pause, an ominous silence, there was a chewed-out, angry answer—no small feat for an already sarcastic droid. 

“They’re sex traffickers.” 

Bodhi’s heart stood still in his chest. The world, the galaxy seemed to narrow down to K’s bulbous eyes. Bodhi’s vision swam.

“Let’s get Cassian  _ now.”  _

* * *

“Poor thing can’t even stand.” 

Cassian groaned, squinting against the bright light. He must have hit his head as he fell, because the world was spinning around him. 

“He is quite fetching, I must admit.” Cassian rolled onto his stomach, closing his eyes and willing his body to function. Wherever he was, someone was with him, looking at him.  _ Watching  _ him. Watching him  _ naked.  _

“We only carry the most handsome specimens!” Two someones, that is. This one had a booming voice, and it grated against Cassian’s ears. “He’s Festian, you know—they’re renowned for their delicate features.” 

“Oh, he’s trying to get up...”

Cassian dragged himself to his knees, shielding both eyes with his hand before opening them. The lights were still bright, so  _ painfully  _ bright, but at least he could see where he was now. 

He was in a cell. That much was already obvious, factoring in the cuffs he was sporting, but it was a very odd cell. It loomed up like a silo, clearly carved from sandstone directly out of… well, wherever he was. Was he even on Cantonica anymore?

“He looks dreadfully confused.” 

Cassian  _ was  _ dreadfully confused, but he didn’t appreciate the running commentary. Swiveling on his knees, he tried to face the onlookers, but only succeeded in tangling himself around the chains at his feet. 

“He’ll hurt himself at that rate. I don’t want him damaged.” 

“Of course not, sir. We’re taking fine care of him. Found the poor soul being escorted by a K-X unit, probably sending him to Imperial confinement.” 

“Lucky you found him, then.” 

Lucky?  _ Lucky?  _ Cassian tossed himself upright, opening his mouth with an indignant cry.  _ They interrupted his mission!  _

Not a sound came out of his mouth. 

This time Cassian fell on his ass out of pure surprise. What happened to his voice? Bringing a hand to his throat, he felt at the skin, prodded at the muscles around his vocal chords before trailing his fingers into his hair—

A brainwave inhibitor.

_ Kriff. _

“He’s a feisty one.” 

“I assume you like them that way, sir?”

“Indeed.”    
  
This time, more carefully, Cassian turned himself over, shuffling around on all fours until he could finally come face to face with his—

“Stop him doing that.”

“Of course!” 

Cassian screamed. Everything went black.

* * *

“You’re sure he’s here?”

“No, I’m not. But the odds are fifty to one he is being held in this facility.” 

Bodhi grumbled under his breath. Those were good odds, but good odds couldn’t beat a certainty. The only way he was going to keep himself sane was to imagine K-2 just said the odds were one-hundred percent. So that’s what he did. He  _ would  _ find Cassian.

“Are you ready?” Jyn asked gently, nodding towards their target. It was a large building, cut into a cliff-face on the far side of Canto Bight. If one scaled said cliff, they would find themselves on a grassy plateau, which would eventually drop off into the ocean. Luckily, they didn’t have to scale the cliff. They just had to get in the building.

The aforementioned building was squat, half-hexagonal. The thing was a weathered brown, constructed rather poorly. K-2’s schematics, however, indicated there was a much larger, multi-story complex inside, but a simple, unadorned bar served as a convincing front.

They’d have to pay their way in. The Imperial credits they’d snatched off an unsuspecting lieutenant would be enough, and the uniform Bodhi had stolen from the (at the time unconscious) officer would ease his way. There was a code-word he’d have to speak, easily memorized, to get him through to the back rooms, which was where the real…  _ wares  _ were kept.

It was absolutely sickening to think of what was happening in there, what might be happening to  _ Cassian  _ in there, but Bodhi would have to keep his wits about him. K-2 would come with him, of course, which was a comfort, but Bodhi was nerve-wrackingly anxious. Taking a deep breath, he nodded. “Yeah. Let’s do this.” 

Jyn nodded, darting back towards the hangar outside the city. She would be their get-away driver.

Never in his life did Bodhi imagine he would be stealing his own boyfriend.

“Let’s go, Kay.” 

* * *

When Cassian woke up he was no longer in a cell. 

He was no longer naked, either. The first two things he noticed—and it was easier to notice things, because the lights were at a relatively normal brightness and his entire body wasn’t agonized—was the fact he was in a much smaller room, and there was fabric covering his skin. 

Upon first impression it appeared he was alone. Cassian propped himself on his elbows, something soft dipping beneath the pressure. A mattress. He was on a bed. 

He was in a bed _ room.  _ The walls were the same natural material as the cell had been, but they were adorned with tapestries and curtains. Lit candles sat around the periphery of the room, where there was a surprising amount of counter space, also cut from stone. Cassian turned his head, taking it all in before looking down at himself.

Blooming across his lower abdomen was a large, purple bruise, spreading out from two circular burns below his navel. He’d been struck with a prodding iron. 

Cassian hadn’t needed to remove any clothes to see that, either. The fabric he’d felt against his skin was part of an extremely skimpy piece of lingerie, only barely covering his manhood. Long silk ribbons were wrapped around his thighs, his chest, and his arms, all tied together at the tips, making a sort of impromptu one-piece. Cuffs remained around his ankles, chaining him to the bedpost. The cuffs around his wrists now had chains as well, attached to the headboard. Both sets were long, affording Cassian some degree of movement, allowing him to sit up fully. He felt cold.

Reaching up, Cassian touched the base of his neck. The inhibitor was still there. 

Somehow, he had to get out of here.

He had no idea what happened to K-2, no idea if anyone was coming to help him. He’d have to figure a way out of this. 

A rattle sounded behind him. 

Whirling around, Cassian managed not to tangle himself up too badly. Still, he was in an awkward position, limbs contorted as he craned his neck towards the far wall.

So much for escaping.

The sound he’d heard was the rattling of beads. Strings of them hung from an entryway he hadn’t noticed before, on the same wall the bed’s headboard was resting. Cassian watched the oncoming figure enter his field of vision. 

It was a Chagrian male.

The man huffed. “I hadn’t wanted you damaged,” he tutted, staring mournfully down at Cassian’s injury. “But we’ll have to work around it. Let’s get started, shall we?” 

* * *

Bodhi’s heart was hammering wildly. Threatening to pop out of his chest, it beat at an erratic pace, sounding out  _ Cassian, danger, Cassian, safe.  _ Chin held high, Bodhi tried to keep the words far from his mind. He couldn’t let his emotions control him. If they did he would surely blow the mission, and he had to treat this like a mission. His chest would explode otherwise.

Getting into the bar was as simple as flashing the insignia on his lapel and dropping a few credits. K-2 remained at his side, unusually uptight and vigilant. 

Gentle music floated through the lounge as they entered. Wind instruments, a cool breeze, a sunken bar, mood lighting—it was idyllic. Under any other circumstances Bodhi might bring Cassian here on a date, to relax and unwind. It just so happened he never wanted Cassian to see the inside of this place again.

Weaving their way through meandering patrons doting the aisles and lounging on sumptuous floor cushions, Bodhi strode towards the back. Several Imperial officers were also in attendance, which (blessedly) meant very few eyes followed him across the room. 

“Do you remember the code?” K-2 asked indiscreetly. His metal footsteps sounded loudly against the marble floor, but they blended in with the ambiance and chatter. 

Bodhi sighed, knowing the droid probably didn’t trust his organic memory, nor the influence of his emotions. “Yes, I do, shut up.” 

“Just asking.” 

Two large Dresselian males blocked their way. Approaching the bouncers, Bodhi cleared his throat, holding himself as tall as he could. “Kaminoan carburetor,” he said, enunciating carefully.

The Dresselians glanced at each other, and Bodhi’s heart leapt into his throat. Had he said the wrong thing? No, he couldn’t have… Just as quickly as his worries rose, they faded away, the bouncers stepping aside and opening a heavy steel door. 

With what he hoped was an imperious nod, he stepped inside, K close behind him. He waited until the doors were firmly closed again to speak. They were in a long, dimly-lit hall, with a single wood door about one-hundred paces in front of them. “Right, now we just—” 

“—hope they have a Festian male,” K finished, earning himself a pointed scowl. 

“ _ Ask to see their new acquisitions,”  _ Bodhi corrected.

“Yes, of course.” 

With a huff, Bodhi set off down the hall, counting his steps by four.  _ One, two, three, four, two, two, three, four…  _

The door was unlocked when they reached it. Swinging open with a gentle push, it creaked on its hinges and revealed the room beyond.

No one looked up as he entered. No one was there but a single female Twi’lek. She stood behind a low, bare desk, a service-provider’s smile on her face, already staring directly at them. “Greetings. What can I treat you to this evening?” 

Bodhi felt a shiver run up his spine. He was actually doing this. He was about to solicit his partner. 

“Tell me about your latest finds.” 

* * *

Cassian’s eyes darted wildly around the room. 

He was cornered, in chains, vulnerable. Missions had gone sideways before, but nothing quite like  _ this _ —nothing as bone-chilling as  _ this _ . Was there anything he could reach, anything he could use to—?

“Don’t look so eager to leave,” the Chagrian admonished. 

Cassian snarled at the man’s back, though only a low rumble came out. He wanted nothing more than his voice and a blaster in hand to shout and shoot his way out. 

“The final transaction is being made as we speak, and you’ll be off with your new owner in no time.” Cassian’s eye twitched at the word.  _ Owner.  _

“He’s not young, not old,” his captor continued, making his way towards the long counters. Cassian craned his neck to try and see what he was doing. “His tastes are neither depraved nor banal. Consider yourself lucky.” 

Cassian absolutely would  _ not _ . Subtly, he pinched his fingers together, testing the cuffs around his wrists. Far too tight to weasel his way out of. Maybe the chains—

“I wouldn’t resist if I were you.” Cassian clenched his jaw, fully determined to do just that, no matter how much it hurt, no matter how much whatever was about to happen would hurt. 

What sounded like a drawer was abruptly slammed shut, and the Chagrian turned around. In his hands was another prodding iron. Instead of a long shaft and forks, however, it was short, with a flat plate on the end, engraved with a strange pattern.

A brand. 

Cassian jerked at the chains on his feet, automatically flinching away from the white-hot iron. The Chagrain steadily approached, and Cassian hissed, the only sound of protest he could actually make. 

Laughter filled the room. Cassian was not entertained. 

Scrambling awkwardly against the sheets, Cassian tried to toss himself off the bed, but of course the chains stopped him. A cold hand wrapped around his neck, pinning him down, the chains suddenly pulled taut against his limbs. 

“If you hold still it won’t be as messy.” 

Cassian refused to make this any easier. With a grunt he tried to lift himself off the mattress, squirming as the Chagrian’s weight caged his chest. Cassian closed his eyes. 

His lips parted in a silent scream.

* * *

Bodhi’s patience was on the verge of fraying. Even if, hypothetically, he was here for some casual (illegal,  _ very _ illegal, and morally degenerate) sex, was an entire fucking  _ survey  _ really necessary?

“Which sex do you prefer?”

“Male.”

“What age do you prefer?” 

“Mid-twenties.” 

“Would you consider yourself a dominant or submissive partner?”

“I switch.”

“Interesting… Is there any race you are particularly attracted to?” 

Bodhi didn’t want to name it straight-up, to avoid suspicion, so he threw it in with some others. “I like several. Yavinians, Coruscantis, Stewjonians, Festians—”

“Oh, Festians?” 

Bodhi tried not to perk up too visibly. “Do you happen to have any?” 

The Twi’lek smiled, her pink skin flushing pinker with delight. “We happened to get one in today, in fact. A fresh catch—slim but very handsome.” She winked playfully.

Bodhi’s breath caught in his throat. Cassian was here. Cassian was  _ here.  _ “How much for him?” he asked. 

The Twi’lek tutted. “Well, unfortunately he’s already been sold. But there are some others we have that might interest you!” Bodhi wanted to wipe that chipper smile right off the sales woman's face. “We have several Corellian—”

“How much did the Festian sell for?” 

The Twi’lek woman paused, drawing up in surprise. “How much? I—” Recovering herself, she folded her hands across her lap. “I’m sorry, but all sales are final.” 

“Whatever you were paid for him, we’ll double it.” 

This time she didn’t quite recover herself. “If you’d—Well, let me just…” She raised a finger, scuttering out of the room through a very well-concealed utility door. 

Bodhi leaned back in the chair he’d been offered, lips a thin line. 

“You know we don’t have any money.” 

Rolling his eyes, he glanced over his shoulder at K. “Just go with me on this, alright? We agreed to try and get him out with as little fuss as possible. And we have those credits we stole, remember? Didn’t need them all to get in.” 

“Yes, but we may not have  _ time _ .” Frowning, Bodhi stood, turning to face the droid head-on. “If Cassian has been sold his owner may already be here to collect.” 

Bodhi’s blood froze in his veins, then boiled. “We’ll find him. We’ll find him and save him, alright? We  _ will _ .”

K didn’t respond. He was either impressed by Bodhi’s resolve or stunned by his denial. Bodhi didn’t know which K thought, or which it  _ actually _ was. All he could do was hope.

Moments later the Twi’lek returned. “I am sorry to say the sale is final—”

“Let me speak to the owner.” 

* * *

Tears streamed down Cassian’s face. Hissing in a breath, he choked back a sob, the brand finally leaving his skin. His entire body trembled, set afire. White-hot rage welled in his chest, but he didn’t have the energy to act on it. The Chagrian loosened his chains, easily rolling him onto his stomach, wrists pulled together in a cross above his head.

Cassian imagined himself jerking upright, kicking the Chagrian back, wrapping the length of chain around his filthy neck and  _ pulling,  _ but the adrenaline coursing through his system wasn’t enough to fuel him, wasn’t enough to light the fire. Instead, he lay still, the drag of seared flesh against course sheets unbearable as he was maneuvered into position.  _ Do something! _

Rough palms ran down his back, squeezing his ass, removing the lingerie and pulling his cheeks apart. Cassian’s lungs seized in his chest. He couldn’t breath, couldn’t—

All he could feel was the pull, the sting.

It  _ burned. _

* * *

Bodhi stared down his nose at the buyer, trying not to sneer.

That was difficult for two reasons. The first reason was the Klatooinian was much,  _ much  _ taller than him. The second was this man, this  _ beast  _ dared presume ownership over Cassian. Bodhi held both hands behind his back, clenching them into fists. 

Cassian belonged to  _ no one.  _

If K-2SO weren’t standing behind him, Bodhi might have done something rash. The Klatooinian might have done something equally dangerous, his fangs drawn low in a snarl. 

“This is  _ outrageous!”  _ the buyer cried, pacing back and forth across the room. The shallow ceiling and the low lighting made it feel more like an enclosure than a room—a combat arena, where Bodhi intended to fight tooth and nail. “I’ve paid for him! He’s being broken in as we speak!”

_ Broken in. _ Bodhi wanted nothing more than to drive the Klatooinian’s nose into his skull. “And if you accept my payment,” he said, keeping his tone as even as he could, “Along with the guarantee I do  _ not  _ reveal your location and extensive criminal record to the nearest bounty-hunter, you’ll have more than enough to buy another one.” 

“Excuse me...” The Twi’lek, having watched the proceedings with the expression of a being well out of her depth, stepped forward. “We adhere to a code of strict client confidentiality—”

“The Empire does  _ not!” _

Bodhi didn’t realize  _ he _ was the one who shouted until the words were ringing around them. “The Empire does not,” he repeated, hoping to cloak his outburst with resolve. The Klatooinian narrowed his eyes, glancing between Bodhi and K-2. 

Bodhi’s heart skipped a beat. If they weren’t careful this whole thing could slip out of hand. The Klatooinian began pacing, this time with intent. The Twi’lek woman glanced over her shoulder. “Let me just—” she started, pointing towards that same utility door. 

Bodhi stepped forward to block her path, and the woman drew back. “Sir, I am going to have to ask you to—”

Bodhi wasn’t about to let her finish. Getting kicked out wasn’t an option.  _ Abandoning Cassian  _ wasn’t an option. If this operation was falling apart, he would be at the helm. 

With the casual flare he’d learned from Galen Erso, he rested his hand on the woman’s shoulder, not so much pushing her back as suggesting she should retreat. “Your lack of cooperation is disappointing,” he tutted, doing his best to impersonate Orson Krennic. Would the director have said it with such pomp and snark? Yes. Definitely. “I will be confiscating your records, along with the identities of  _ all  _ your clients. And I  _ will _ be taking the Festian male, with or without payment.”

The Klatooinian surged forward, roaring in protest. Before Bodhi could react K-2 tossed the buyer clear across the room. The Twi’lek screamed. 

“Shut her up, Bodhi!” K shouted, pinning the buyer to the ground as he thrashed and howled. Bodhi made a lunge for her, but the Twi’lek slipped through his arms, slamming her fist against the wall, against a big, orange,  _ how-did-he-not-notice-that-before _ button.

The lights turned red. Alarms cried around them.

Bodhi froze, wide eyes meeting K’s. 

“Shit!”

* * *

Cassian didn’t know how he’d done it. 

Through it all he tried to pretend. Pretend he was anywhere else, pretend this wasn’t happening. Pretend he was gazing up at the stars above the moon of Endor, sharing laughter and celebration with Luke Skywalker. Pretend he was enjoying a game of Dejarik with Han Solo and Chewbacca. Pretend he was listening to Leia and Jyn bicker about which jumper he should wear under his parka, because blue really wasn’t his color. 

He couldn’t pretend it was Bodhi.

When he made love to Bodhi it was never like this. Never without preparation, never pain and tears. There were always tender touches, the gentle press of lips, slacks carefully folded and set on the nearest chair. It was always smooth and delicate and  _ love,  _ no matter who was having the other _.  _

This wasn’t love. 

He couldn’t pretend it was Bodhi.

It didn’t last as long as he thought it would. The Chagrian’s heat left his body, and Cassian could feel and breathe the air again. His skin was wet, his hair caked in sweat. He ground his teeth, feeling the same anger, but this time there was a chasm in his chest—a void of  _ hopelessness.  _

The Chagrian didn’t speak, simply moving around the room. Cassian wanted to lift his head and watch the man’s every action, but the bile roiling at the bottom of his throat threatened to come all the way up. Try as he might, he couldn’t stop shaking. 

Exhaustion pulled at his bones. Cassian didn’t want to slip into oblivion, didn’t want to sleep. If he let the darkness consume him, he might never find his way back.

But it wasn’t the darkness he had to worry about. 

A heinous shriek filled the room, rattling his teeth. The lights, before so disgustingly beautiful and pearlescent, turned blood-red, flashing wildly. Cassian forced himself to raise his head. 

“What is this?!” the Chagrian bellowed, and Cassian heard the clattering of beads as he stormed away. He held his breath for one second, then two.

_ This was his chance. _

* * *

“Keep them down!” 

“I’m trying!” K-2 insisted, the words unsettlingly close to a wheeze. The Klatooinian was finally,  _ finally  _ unconscious, a mangled heap beneath K’s metal knees, and the droid had the Twi’lek’s lekku wrapped firmly around his arms. She thrashed and screamed, kicking up a fuss, but the situation was under control.

_ As under control as you can call this,  _ Bodhi thought, the flashing lights giving him a headache. The only ways in or out of the room were back the way they’d come or through the utility door. Darting towards it, he flung the door open and dashed inside. “I’ll go find Cassian!”

K called out behind him.  _ “You’d better!” _

* * *

Cassian didn’t have much time.

Wrapping chains around a bedpost with your wrists cuffed was no easy feat. Still, Cassian managed to do it, pulling with all his might. Either the cuffs would break or the bed, but he was determined to break one of them. That was if his wrists didn’t break first. Cassian shouted high in his throat, sound lost to the inhibitor, muscles straining as he worked against the metal. Eyes darting wildly as the red lights flashed and flashed. 

_ Have to escape. Have to _ —

Then, he spotted it. 

The brand. 

It was hanging from the foot of the bed by a long strap. Still hot. Twisting around, Cassian flopped down on his belly, knees tucked up where the chains prevented it, now a tangled mess beneath him. Stretching as far as he could, Cassian’s fingers barely brushed the handle. _ Again, farther, again, farther,  _ his muscles straining dangerously,  _ again, farther _ —

Got it.

Holding up the brand, Cassian studied its ridges and curves, its peaks and valleys. He hated it, but it would do. Taking a deep breath, he mentally prepared himself. This would hurt.

Slowly, he brought it down on the cuffs between his ankles. 

It  _ burned. _

* * *

Bodhi stumbled to a halt, nearly tripping over his own two feet. 

The door led to a steep staircase, beyond which was another long hallway. Taking the steps two at a time, Bodhi emerged to find the corridor brimming with people—some in chains, some not, some  _ holding  _ chains and dragging their captives away, all one big hullabaloo. 

“Cassian!” Bodhi cried, shouldering his way through the crowd, moving against the tide. 

_ Where was he, where was he? _

_ “Cassian!”  _

* * *

Cassian heard his voice first.

He remembered seeing old holo-documentaries when he was a child, where a creature’s mate could recognize it by the sound of its voice, a single call in an ocean of noise.

Cassian didn’t think he’d heard it at first.

Surely he was imagining things, limping down the hall, the charred remains of cuffs still clinging to his ankles and wrists, fused to the skin. Burning through the chains had been easy, but the damage was unavoidable. When he emerged there were people  _ everywhere,  _ and Cassian was overwhelmed, reeling as he was jostled and pushed down the hall, caught up in the tide. He didn’t need to know what the fuss was about, he just needed to  _ get out of here. _

Somewhere in his mind he heard Bodhi’s voice—the echo of an old memory perhaps, urging him to go on—but no, that was  _ real,  _ that voice was here, now, in this space, and Cassian craned his neck, trying to see—

He took an elbow to the gut, knocking him off his feet. 

_ “Bodhi!”  _ he cried, but it was silent. 

* * *

“Cassian!” 

Bodhi was hopping up and down like a lunatic, trying to see over the numerous heads swarming past him, trying to fight the current, trying to find him,  _ find him.  _ He had no idea this place was so massive, filled with so many lost souls, both victims and abusers. There, a mop of brown hair, but it disappeared as soon as he spotted it. “Cassian!” he cried. 

Finally, he gave up fighting the gravitational wave of moving bodies. If Cassian was in the middle of this, he would have been swept up, too. Bodhi tripped his way along the hall, not a single care given by anyone around him except for their own skin. All of them were trying to steal away with what was theirs, or what they  _ thought  _ was theirs. Little did they know the alarm was his doing.

Through the tangle of limbs and garments Bodhi spotted something on the floor, someone crouching, that same mop of brown hair, beneath it a thin jaw—

_ “Cassian!”  _

Bodhi felt tears streaming down his face as he fell to his knees, pulling Cassian against his chest. Relief flooded his heart, and he squeezed the man tight, vowing never to let go.  _ He’s alive. He’s here. _

Pulling back ever-so-slightly, Bodhi met Cassian’s gaze, ducking his head to keep himself from being kicked across the face by the trampling mob. Cassian’s eyes were wide and bright. It was him. It was  _ really him.  _

Alive, but not well. His hair was matted, cheeks covered in the tracks of dried tears. There were bruises and burns and dear Force,  _ a brand,  _ fresh and flaking _.  _ Cuffs hung around his wrists, and he was barely wearing any clothes. Anger returned. Bodhi wanted to lash out—to watch the planet burn to the ground, to see these people  _ pay _ —but he had to get Cassian out of there. Anger was replaced with determination. “Come on, let’s go!”

Wrapping an arm around Cassian’s waist, he took the man’s weight, the pair stumbling through the hall, following the crowd, the only time in his life Bodhi might be grateful for blending in with this particular group.

Natural light seeped through a single small door. Bodhi pressed and pried his way forward, holding firmly to Cassian all the while.

Not a small door. A large door. A  _ very  _ large door. Deceptively but cleverly built, the hallway flared out into an enormous hangar, where a bay of reinforced steel was being cranked open with great haste. Fancy speeders and luxury yachts and passenger shuttles, all neatly parked, were roaring to life, speeding away as fast as their engines could carry them. Hopefully Jyn would see all the commotion and fly—

Bodhi ground to a halt.  _ Shit.  _

“Kay!” 

* * *

Cassian looked up at Bodhi, lips parted in surprise.  _ Kay? What about Kay? Was he _ — But the words wouldn’t come, so he didn’t try to speak them. Instead he helped Bodhi turn them around, the pair hobbling like players in a three-legged race, pressing back the way they’d come.

Cassian hadn’t gone through all this, neither of them had gone through  _ all this _ to leave without K-2. Cassian’s heart ached for his droid: for the snark and attitude and comfort of his oldest friend. They were nearly clear of the hangar and back in the hall when Cassian felt something clamp down on his shoulder, yanking him back. Bodhi’s arms flew out, trying to follow him, panic in his eyes Cassian barely had the chance to see before he was whirled around and—

“Are you two actually idiots?” 

Cassian shuddered in relief, looking up at K-2. The droid’s face-plate was in  _ terrible  _ shape _ ,  _ but he was in one piece, thank the Force. 

“Kay!” Bodhi cried, attaching himself to Cassian’s side again. Cassian welcomed the embrace, slumping heavily.

K was unimpressed. “The exit is  _ that  _ way.” 

Nodding at the same time Bodhi did, Cassian didn’t argue (and couldn’t), the pair following K back across the hangar, the last clients’ ships departing in a blast. 

“Where’s Jyn?” Bodhi had to shout over all the noise, but at least he was asking the questions Cassian was thinking. 

“How should I know?” K huffed, grinding to a halt where the landing platform dropped off into a rocky abyss. Thrashing waves rose from the shore-line in lips of foam, lapping up at them, begging for an accident.

“Well, someone’s going to show up soon and we need to be  _ gone,”  _ Bodhi cautioned, glancing around. Cassian joined the hunt, searching for anything they could use. Was there an abandoned ship or a speeder or a— 

“I say we jump.” 

Cassian abruptly raised his head, brows furrowed in indignation. Was K insane?

“Are you  _ insane?”  _ Bodhi hissed. “We’ll never make that jump!” 

But K-2 was already leaning well over the edge, gazing at the precipice below. “We’re jumping.” 

Cassian and Bodhi backed up as one. “No, nonono—!” Bodhi wrapped himself around Cassian, shielding him as K tossed them over his shoulder, taking a running jump.

If Cassian could have screamed, he  _ would have.  _

* * *

This was it. This was the way they would die. Thrown from a hangar into the raging sea. Bodhi squeezed his eyes shut, clutching Cassian tightly, nose buried in the man’s ragged hair.

They did not land with a splash.

They landed with a  _ thunk. _

Opening his eyes, Bodhi raised his head, hair whipping around his face. They’d landed on something flat. A ramp, an open ramp, the ramp—

“Get them inside!” 

Bodhi sighed, squeezing Cassian desperately as K set them down, ushered them inside, safe in the belly of Rogue One.

Watching the hull seal, separating them from the rising waters and sandstone cliffs, severing them from Cantonica once and for all, was as surreal as it was relieving. Bodhi simply stood there for a moment, Cassian in his arms, staring at the slate-gray spot that was moments ago his least favorite place in the galaxy.

They were safe.

Cassian was  _ safe.  _

“Cassian!” 

Jyn rushed forward, wrapping herself around Cassian’s back, making him the center of a Bodhi-and-Jyn sandwich. Bodhi let out a silent huff of laughter, tears pricking his eyes again. He revelled in the stillness for a moment before his lips drew into a frown.

Cassian was completely silent. 

“Cassian?”

Bodhi pulled back, and Jyn, too, looking into Cassian’s eyes. Vacant, hazy,  _ tired.  _ “Cassian, can you say something, please?” Bodhi requested, cupping the man’s cheek, hoping to pull him out of his stupor long enough to confirm he was cognizant, he was  _ still in there. _

Cassian blinked, and the dull sheen crept from his irises. Bodhi was about to repeat the question when Cassian shook his head, gesturing to the back of his neck. Bodhi slowly stepped behind him, gently turning the man by the shoulders to meet him half-way. 

His breath caught in his throat.

A brainwave inhibitor. 

_ Fuck.  _

“We’ll get this thing off you.” Jyn was the first to speak, and her voice held far more anxiety than it normally did. Bodhi couldn’t bring himself to speak at all. “We’ll get this off you, Cassian, alright?” Jyn repeated, forcing a smile onto her face as she turned Cassian back around and met his gaze.

Slowly, Cassian nodded. 

* * *

Not being able to speak—not being able to communicate beyond shaking his head and nodding, silence where a voice should be—was  _ terrifying. _

Of all the things to tip him over the edge, of all the things to tear his heart from his chest and deliver the final crushing blow, it was seeing Bodhi’s face, hearing his words, leaning into his touch, but not being able to say a thing.

Cassian wanted to speak. He wanted to repeat Bodhi’s name, feel the taste of it on his tongue, let it tumble from his mouth like a flooding dam and wash away everything that came before. The best he could do was rest his head on Bodhi’s shoulder, playing absently with the zipper on the lapel of the man’s disguise.

Jyn had swaddled him in emergency blankets and as many extra layers as she could find, grumbling about “those terrible clothes” and fussing over him like a mother. It brought the smallest of smiles to his lips, which in turn brought such visible relief to Jyn’s face it was painful to bear. How pathetic must he seem?

Bodhi hadn’t looked relieved. Bodhi looked  _ harsh,  _ like his features were chiseled from stone. Angry.  _ Wrathful,  _ even. Cassian hated it, and he wanted to speak, wanted to tell Bodhi to forget the whole thing, to go on as they normally would, to treat this like something other than the shattering reality it was. 

‘Denial’ is what K-2 might call that, but the droid was abnormally silent. Jyn had taken the pilot’s seat with K-2 at her side, but once they’d jumped to hyperspace K abandoned his post, sitting on the other side of Cassian, like a sentinel. Cassian knew K was loyal to him: it was part of his reprogramming. But he’d never felt so  _ protected  _ before.

Knowing he was cared for, knowing he was  _ loved…  _

Somehow, that made it all worse.

Bodhi’s hand shifted from Cassian’s back to his hair, fingers tangling comfortably in the messy curls. Cassian was half-sitting in Bodhi’s lap, still swimming in blankets. Sighing, he closed his eyes. He’d been staring at nothing for who knows how long. 

Jyn’s voice made its way back to them from the cockpit. She had been silent, which wasn’t unusual for her, but her silence was tinged with the same gloom the entire ship was laden with. So was her tone of voice. “Approaching Hoth now.” 

Cassian couldn’t wait to get the inhibitor  _ off. _

But he’d have to take things one step at a time. First, they dropped from lightspeed, gliding into base and touching down in the hidden hangar. Cassian was born in a similarly frozen wasteland, but he couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually  _ missed  _ the cold. Anticipating it now felt abnormal.

And he hadn’t been expecting so many  _ people. _

* * *

Word traveled fast in the tight-knit Rebellion. 

This was a well-known fact, but Bodhi wasn’t sure whether to be grateful or mortified. Scads of pilots and officers lingered around Rogue One, concern etched into their faces, wondering what exactly had happened to Cassian Andor. 

At the end of any other successful mission, Bodhi might have appreciated the worry and the coddling and the joy, but this wasn’t over yet. There was still so much more.

_ So _ much more.

Arms wrapped firmly around Cassian’s shoulders, he guided the man down the ramp and through the gathering crowd, dodging any questions and glaring at anyone who looked like they might come too close. Cassian didn’t  _ need  _ this right now. He needed the attention of doctors and medical droids, not gawkers. Cassian’s chin was tucked, head bowed. Bodhi hoped his eyes were closed, too.

Glittering stalagmites and cave walls dripping with ice barely passed his radar, the normal curiosity he felt towards an unknown planet and its features completely lost. Bodhi moved with purpose, but he was in a daze, letting Jyn guide them towards the medbay, K-2 right behind them, the group drawing stares, Cassian’s blankets dragging over the frozen floor beneath them. Bodhi could feel eyes on them as couriers and workmen passed in the halls, but he kept his gaze forward, then trained on the ground—

Cassian wasn’t wearing any shoes.

“Kriff, fuck, I didn’t—” Cassian seemed surprised they’d suddenly stopped, following Bodhi’s line of sight and shaking his head. “No,” Bodhi insisted, “No, you’re not taking another step without- let me just—”

“Stop that immediately,” K snapped, watching Bodhi bend his knees and try to scoop Cassian into his arms. He paused as the droid chastised him, straightening up. 

K was unreadable, obviously. “You’ll break your back  _ and  _ his.” 

With great reluctance Bodhi stepped away, letting K pick Cassian up. Cassian looked vaguely embarrassed, but he must have been far too exhausted to absorb much of anything. “Let’s be quick,” Bodhi said, but he needn’t have. The droid whisked Cassian away almost faster than he and Jyn could keep up. 

Medical was situated at the far end of the base, back where the sick and wounded were afforded more sanctuary and quiet. Bodhi was grateful for that much. The doors slid open with a hiss, revealing the pristine white rooms beyond, bacta tanks lining one wall and sleeper cots the other. A medical droid shuffled up to them, voice smooth and even. “How can I help you?” 

“This man needs to be evaluated,” K announced, looming over the smaller droid. The medic was unphased. “Emergency services are required.” 

Bodhi’s stomach flipped, though he’d known that already. Hearing someone else say it just made it more real.

Cassian was  _ hurt. _

Bodhi wanted to cry.

* * *

The cold air felt  _ heavenly _ against his skin. 

Layers of blankets were soothing at first, but Cassian was soon flushed with warmth, craving something cool. Hoth’s freezing winds would do, and the smooth ice beneath his toes, dusted with snow. Running the risk of frostbite was worth it—he would take the numbness over the heat, the  _ burning _ —

Faces and helmets passed before him like ghosts, and he was handed from Bodhi to K, not entirely sure why his feet couldn’t handle the rest of the walk, but he didn’t argue. He couldn’t, anyway.

“Captain Andor is wearing a brainwave inhibitor,” the medical droid assessed, situating him on one of the emergency cots.  _ No shit. _

“Can it be safely removed?” That was Jyn’s voice, though Cassian couldn’t see her. 

“Yes, it can.” 

“And get him some proper clothes, please! And get those cuffs off him!”

Cassian had forgotten about those. They still clung to his skin, semi-permanent adornments that would become permanent scars. 

He wished it would all  _ go away.  _

But he didn’t want to close his eyes, because Bodhi was sitting next to him. 

Bodhi’s hair was a wild mess, sticking out at all angles, a few strands hovering from static friction while others clung to his neck. Bodhi always grumbled about getting a haircut, frequently tangling the strands in his goggles and yanking them out by accident. Cassian liked his long hair.

“Cassian… Hey…” 

He didn’t remember zoning out, but he must have, because Bodhi was brushing his knuckles across his cheek, bringing him back to the now. “Cassian—…” Something passed over Bodhi’s eyes, something Cassian had only seen once, when he’d coaxed the man out of his shell on Jedha, reminding him  _ he was the pilot _ after Bor Gullet took that away.

Whatever Bodhi wanted to say, he didn’t.

“I love you.” 

Cassian’s lips were chapped, and he felt them pull uncomfortably as he offered a small smile. 

_ I love you, too. _

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr @androgynousmeme


End file.
